UNDER THE BUS

UNDER THE BUS

The health care bill that died in the House  last week would have bumped an estimated 24 million people off their health insurance plans.  They would be back using emergency rooms or die early.
That was OK with President Trump because all he cared about was A BIG WIN no matter the cost to the most vulnerable citizens of our country.  In the end he demonstrated what many of us suspected  all along---that he cared not a wit about the people who supported him;  he only  cared about himself and his image.

He was willing to throw the poor, the sick, the poorly educated, the underemployed  and all his adoring followers UNDER THE BUS to get HIS health care bill passed in the House of Representatives. What will it take for his CULT-LIKE FOLLOWERS  to realize that this man has used them to get to the White House and has no intention or ability to  deliver on the simplistic promises he made during his campaign?

RELIGION DOES NOT REALLY EXIST, IT'S POLITICS ALL THE TIME

 I will soon be 79 years of age and I have spent a lot of time trying to determine the value of religions. When I was a teenager I remember quizzing the minister of my Protestant Christian  church about  the relationship between the Bible's Genesis account and the process of evolution.  His explanation was muddled at best.  As a scientist and an educator I long ago accepted as fact the evolution of life on Planet Earth.  People in the United States who reject modern science are doing themselves and their families a disservice by holding on to a past that no longer exists.

I have concluded that there is no true religion that humans should or can follow.  Throughout history religions have been invented by humans (mostly men) to answer questions people had about the changing seasons, the life force found in plants and animals, the various phenomena in the heavens such as the sun, moon, stars, eclipses, etc. and most importantly the meaning of life and death.  Today, we have no need for a religion to answer these questions and concerns, science is providing the way forward.

My observation is that religions were invented by humans to provide answers for the unknown and to provide a power base for leaders to control their followers.  It is Politics All The Time and it has been so in the past.  Today the major religions are controlled by MEN who manipulate people and events to maintain their power. There are so many religions on the planet because humans are so fickle, so argumentative, so different, so opinionated that they simply have a real hard time agreeing on anything. Thus fighting over religion has been a blood sport for thousands of years with humans killing each other by the millions.

Does this mean "GOD IS DEAD"?  Humans invented "gods" to explain the unknown.  There seems to have been a constant feeling  among humans that there exists a power beyond their understanding. However when trying to describe such an entity we use terms such as "listen to my prayer" (assumes ears), "look down upon us sinners" (assumes eyes), "walk with me" (assumes legs).
"forgive us" (assumes empathy), smile down upon us (assumes a face), etc.  In essence we are describing a human image that people insist does not show their "God".

In my opinion, the way to have a truly religious experience is for a person to make a direct connection with something and be moved by the experience such as a beautiful flower, a stunning painting, a colorful sunset, a child's smile, a butterfly, a campfire, or a perceived spiritual presence.  Religious experiences are personal and different for everyone.

Modern religions such as Christianity,  Judaism and Islam use building for followers to gather for worship activities. I believe the buildings, shrines and other symbols such as the cross, Buddha, etc. have become political symbols of separation.  This is how a group establishes their power within a community.  Catholic cathedrals were build to dominate the landscape and still do in many cities in Europe and the US.  I remember a conversation I had as a teenager in my Sunday School class. The question was ----Could a person worship outside a church?  The teacher did not think so. Modern religions are by nature conservative; and are stuck in the current political system that, in my opinion, is slowly decaying.  None of the major religions are really moving humans toward  a progressive future.

It may be that in order for us to move to a better place, a safer place, a more tolerant place, a happier place we must abandon the rigidity of modern religions. For older humans who have grown up in their religious traditions it will be very difficult for them to disavow what they have believed their entire adult lives.  

However the young, who are always more idealistic are showing the way. They are motivated by the threats to their future  of worldwide climate change, of terrorism, of nuclear war, and they see the adults in charge scamming the system for themselves not really caring about their future. If religious institutions are unable to work to solve problems, accept compromise, make necessary changes and give our youth a path to a better life, future generations will abandon the religions of their parents in search of something better.

PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE IS COMING

PRESIDENT MIKE  PENCE IS COMING

Chaos reigns in the United States  and Steve Bannon could not be happier. Historically people have demonstrated that they prefer stability over chaos. even if it means tolerating leadership that is authoritarian or even dictatorial. Mr Bannon, the chief advisor to President Trump has done a "mind-meld" with the president; and they appear to be working from the same "playbook".

Donald J. Trump lives in the "Me, Myself and I" world where only he knows the "truth" and only he can "fix it". I am not sure if he considers himself to be God or simply Emperor Trump. In my opinion Donald's erratic behavior is due to a attention deficit disorder that he suffers from.  He is mentally handicapped and is easily manipulated by those close to him.
Steve Bannon is a brilliant tactician and he is using the fears expressed by Donald and his supporters to move the country toward a more " nationalistic society". Bannon seems to think that he can manipulate the president to continue creating chaos and fear to the point where the federal government will move toward a more authoritarian rule.  Unfortunately our president does not appear to understand our constitutional democracy and might actually welcome complete control.


The president is becoming a sideshow to some people.  Even some who support him, are treating him like a joke. If you are handicapped, the last thing you want, is to be ridiculed for your shortcomings.  This has to hurt and may be behind his constant need to lash out and refusal to apologize for mistakes he makes.  When his colleagues say "Donald will be Donald"in response to a Tweet or comment, it is not a complement.

The President's continued use of Twitter to attack people, events or even other countries is negative, diminishes the stature of the presidency and limits his success.  He should  stop using Twitter, but seems blissfully ignorant to  the chaos he creates with his behavior and no one seems to have the courage to really confront him for fear they will hear those famous words "YOU ARE FIRED".

I do not believe Donald J. Trump will complete his first term.
He is 70 years old and we know nothing about his health. Donald is a very bright person, but he is definitely handicapped in his social and educational skills which is limiting his success as president. His father died of Alzheimers disease, so memory loss has to be a concern for him going forward.  He is already showing the stress of the office and he has been  president for only a few weeks.  I believe deteriorating mental and physical  health will be the most likely causes for Donald to not finish his term.

The other causes for an early exit for Trump are all related to Russia and his finances.  His lack of transparency and honesty about these issues sets him up for all kinds of potential charges.

So if Donald J. Trump leaves the presidency, we get President Mike Pence. Mr Pence is an Evangelical Christian and he is probably more polarizing than Mr Trump; but he appears to be sane and he has governing experience.  His political views are a concern for me, but I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to have a President who is sane and speaks to God, rather than a person who thinks he is God. 
  

  

    

WILL HE GO OR WILL HE STAY?

WILL HE GO OR WILL HE STAY?

Chaos reins in the White House and across the country---Donald and Steve could not be happier. Throughout history people have demonstrated that they prefer stability over chaos even if it means installing a leadership that is authoritarian  or dictatorial. Steve Bannon, the chief advisor to the President has done a "mind-meld" with Mr Trump; and they appear to be working from the same "playbook".

Donald Trump lives in the "Me, Myself and I" world where only he knows the "truth" and only he can "fix it". I am not sure if he considers himself to be God or simply Emperor Trump. In my opinion Donald is mentally handicapped, suffers from ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVE DISORDER (ADHD) and is easily manipulated by others. Steve Bannon is a brilliant tactician and he is trying to use the fears expressed  by Donald to move the country toward a "white nationalist society". Bannon thinks that if he can manipulate Trump to continue creating chaos and fear mongering to the point that violence breaks out or there are terrorist incidents, he could move the government toward a more authoritarian rule.  Unfortunately our president does not appear to understand our constitutional democracy and might actually welcome complete control.

I keep hoping, like all of you, that President Trump will do the right thing and move the country forward toward a better future. However his thin skin and bullying behavior (part of his ADHD condition) continue to destroy the effects of the positive things he is doing.


Donald's aggressive behavior has worked for him all his life.  When he does not get his way, he throws a temper tantrum creating a scene and chaos that people around him try desperately to calm down. He probably learned that this tactic worked with his parents when he was growing up and certainly is working in the White House.  Press secretary Sean Spicer and advisor Kellyanne Conway often look like scared rabbits expecting to be torn apart by an attacking hawk. 

Donald J. Trump can not be an effective President until he  agrees to full transparency concerning his relations with Putin and Russia, his tax returns and his business empire. 

Also Donald is becoming a sideshow to some people.  Even some who support him, are treating him like a joke. If you are handicapped, the last thing you want, is to be a joke or be ridiculed for your shortcomings.  This has to hurt and may be behind his constant urge to lash out.  When his colleagues say "Donald will be Donald"  in response to a Tweet or comment, it is not a complement.

The President continues his habit of using Twitter. This form of communication may have worked for him in the past, but as president his use of it has been a disaster. He is using this medium to insult, attack, degrade people and events that he doesn't like, to a point that after something happens, people dread what he will say next. It is negative, diminishes the stature of the presidency and limits his success.  He should  stop using Twitter, but seems blissfully ignorant to  the chaos he creates with his behavior and no one seems to have the courage to really confront him for fear they will hear those famous words "YOU ARE FIRED".

I do not believe Donald J. Trump will complete his first term.
He is 70 years old and his doctor failed to tell the truth about Donald's health.  Donald is a very bright person but is definitely handicapped in his social and educational skills.
Also his father died of Alzheimers disease, so memory loss has to be a concern for him going forward.  He is already showing the stress of the office and he has been  president for only a few weeks.  I believe deteriorating mental and physical  health will be the most likely causes for Donald to not finish his term.

The other causes for an early exit for Trump are all related to Russia and his finances.  His lack of transparency and honesty about these issues sets him up for all kinds of potential charges.

So if Donald J. Trump leaves the presidency,  we get President Mike Pence. Mr Pence is an Evangelical Christian and he is probably more polarizing than Mr Trump; but he appears to be sane and he has governing experience.  His politics and religious views are a concern for me, but I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to have a President who is sane and speaks to God, rather than a person who thinks he is God. 
  

  

    

MY CHRISTIAN JOURNEY

Jesus would be hard pressed to recognize the movement he started more than 2000 years ago. The problem with all religions is that human nature gets tangled up in its activities and implementation.
The inspiration that spawns the spiritual or even the concrete events that draw people to a religion or a religious figure is often blurred by the behaviors of followers and leaders  trying to explain or interpret what has happened.

I grew up in the Christian religion as a member of the Presbyterian Church.  I felt comfortable with this Protestant denomination's approach to Christianity and was  inspired as a teenager to consider a career as a clergyman.  When I read my Bible, I felt Jesus was speaking to me  and I thought his teachings really spoke to the problems people face; and I wanted to go out into the world and spread  "the good news".  I loved his simple, uncomplicated approach in dealing with his fellow man.  When I went off to college  at age 18, I was optimistic about the world and its future.  I wanted to be a scientist and "save the world".

In college I attended the Presbyterian church in town, but it was not until my Junior year that I started to think seriously about a religious vocation.  Midway through that year I moved from a dorm room to Koinonia.  Koinonia was a religious boarding house for young men who were interested in furthering their knowledge of religion.  The house was established by the Protestant churches in the area and was staffed by non resident Presbyterian minister who lead the regular religious discussions.
My roommates included a Mexican, an African-American, a fellow from India and included about a dozen or so students at any one time.  We had  a lady who cooked lunch and dinner, but we had to cook breakfast which we did on a rotating basis.  It was a great experience for me.

My learning curve. One day I opened the refrigerator and found bottles of beer and I was horrified.
When I brought it up, no one saw any problem with having alcohol in the house. I had grown up in a house where my mother was a member of Women's Temperance Union (WTU) and believed that just smelling the cork would make you drunk.

It was about this time I decided to visit seminaries.  I first visited Princeton Theological Seminary for a day tour, but my most memorable visit was to New York City and Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan. I stayed the weekend and was able to hook  up with other students, one of whom lived in New York.  We visited the Empire Sate Building, ate pizza at an Italian place and got to hear a speech by theologian Paul Tillich. We also visited the churches in  East Harlem Protestant Parrish. This was an outreach ministry to the poorest section of the city, spearheaded by students and faculty of the seminary.  It was a really neat experience.

Later I applied to three seminaries but was only accepted at Pittsburgh Theological.. I knew  being a minister would not be easy, but an early experience  cemented  my view  that the politics  of a church could be a problem.  I got a first hand glimpse of the issue when I traveled to a church meeting with 3 ministers.  During the trip these guys started telling jokes and stories. That was not unusual, but these stories were raunchy, filled with "filthy"language  and definitely not did not reflect what I had come to expect from members of the clergy.  I was shocked. Later, I spoke to one of the ministers and he said that time together was the only time they could be "normal".  While doing church work, ministers and their families are under strong pressure to conform, so getting away is often a welcome change.  By the time I graduated from Penn State I had decided I did not want to deal with church politics, so I no longer felt "the call".  Since I had been accepted, I borrowed money from an aunt and decided to go to seminary for the experience; I am glad I did.





    

OUR PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM ADHD

OUR PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM ADHD

I believe President  Donald J. Trump suffers form ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, better known as ADHD. This condition is often diagnosed in young children who are having trouble learning in school; and has often been treated with drugs such as Ritalin. I taught science in the  public schools for more than 30 years; and I worked with students who were afflicted with ADHD.

If you doubt my observations, I suggest you GOOGLE  ADHD and look at the list of characteristics of children and adults, mostly men, who suffer with this very traumatic problem; and then look at the way Trump has behaved over the last several years. I believe Donald has suffered with this his whole life and has survived because of his family and his wealth. There is no cure and people do not "grow out of it". Some adults with this condition compensate for their limitations and can complete a successful life. However if they live in poor communities that lack support services, they often succumb to a life of antisocial or criminal behavior.  If Donald were black or poor, he would most likely be in prison right now.

The following are my observations of President Donald J. Trump over the past several years that I believe support my contention that the President suffers from ADHD:

1. He lacks empathy for those he hurts, attacks or criticizes and never apologizes or says he is sorry for anything. 

2. He can't handle criticism or dissent and bullies those who disagree with him.  

3. He cares more about himself than anyone else. When he does actually attempt to show affection toward others, it does not appear to be genuine.

4. He acts impulsively forward women, makes degrading comments about them and seems to grade them on a sexual attractiveness scale. 

5. He is very vulnerable to being manipulated by people who recognize his weaknesses–––Putin and Bannon are both doing this beautifully. His dismissal of Putin's murderous rule and of CIA evidence on Russian hacking of Democratic documents are evidence of the Russian's  power over him. 

6. He throws temper tantrums and uses threat and fear to get his way. It may work in a corporation, but not so well in our constitutional democracy. 

7. He seems to have no real sense of what is right and wrong, so he lies, exaggerates and dismisses facts without any thought of the consequences. He seems  unable to separate fact from fiction, so we get "alternative  facts" as a result..

8. He is unable to laugh at himself or his outlandish behavior. 

9. He can not handle being ignored. He craves constant attention and must be the center of everything. He loves the crowds of people at his rallies who cheer him on and feed his need for adoration.

10. When he delivers speeches or gives interviews "off the cuff" he often speaks in a helter-skelter fashion with no organized logic to his thoughts or ideas. He does not seem to have the ability to convey logical thoughts verbally, so he uses short sentences and slogans like "It will be fantastic"; or "Everyone will love it". Even when he gives a speech from a teleprompter he seems "wooden" and out of his element.

11. He does not appear to study or research problems before acting on them with an "executive order" or a 
"tweet". The recent ban on travel from 7 Muslim countries is a good example of how his lack of planning and foresight leads to a disaster.

  
12. He perseverates. This is a common condition of people with learning disorders. Meaning he keeps bringing up the same "slight", disagreement, idea or concern time after time for no apparent rational reason. Whatever it is, this item just sits and "stews" in his brain and he has to keep bringing it up, much to everyone's annoyance. The crowd size at his inauguration and the fact that Clinton won the popular vote and he didn't,  are good examples.


He may look like an adult and he obviously can act like one in business or social settings; but he is NOT a normal adult and therein lies America's crisis in leadership.

Some have suggested his position on any given issue depends on whom he has spoken to last.  Steve Bannon, his chief advisor in the White House, has recognized this situation for some time and is using his influence to twist Donald into the kind of "white nationalist " leader that he (Bannon) thinks the country needs.  

Many of Trump's supporters applaud what he is doing  and want him to do more to "shake things up". These people are not comfortable with a progressive democracy where blacks, gays and other minorities have the same civil rights that they enjoy.  They are very uncomfortable with the court rulings on social issues that run contrary to their religious beliefs; and some of them seem to like the idea of a "christian nation" vs our current government that is basically secular.  Trump has been making promises that give these folk reasons  to believe that he agrees with them.

Our President needs a minder with him at all times.  So far Jared Kershner and Kellyanne Conway who have signed on as advisors at the White House, seem to be doing a very poor job. In the early days of  of the administration, Mr. Bannon seems to be in charge and that is not good for the health of America. Donald needs someone who has the country's interests in mind, watching and listening to his every move. He needs help so he can make intelligent decisions. If he goes off on his own without supervision the whole planet may be in peril.

NOTE,
I hope you take what I say seriously---all of our lives are in the hands of a man who suffers from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and he has the power to destroy us all.

Understanding who he is will help us learn how  to deal with him and his actions as President of the United States.


 

DONALD'S WALL IN BIG BEND

hi folks,

In 1979 We spent 11 days in Big Bend National Park.  We visited the area along the Rio Grand River several times.  The following two photos taken from the US side show canyons the river traverses  We crossed the river in a flat bottomed boat paddled by a local, who charged us a couple dollars and our kids rode donkeys up to the village.  It was a neat experience.The third photo is the cafe where we had some local food and cokes (we did not drink the water).

This is where Donald wants to build his WALL. This tiny village of 200 or so residents is about 160 miles from the nearest town. To say this place is isolated is not an exaggeration.  On the US side it takes 2 hours by dirt road to get here.  A WALL here would cost an enormous amount of money and is totally unnecessary. The only people crossing the border here are tourists and few locals.

RIO GRANDE RIVER, SANTA ELENA CANYON, BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS  

RIO GRANDE, BOCQUILLAS  CANYON,  BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

CAFE, BOQUILLAS del CARMEN,  MEXICO, 

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, MOSTLY DESERT

The following link takes you to CNN and an in depth article about the Wall In Texas.

Building Trump's wall: For Texans, it's complicated
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/border-series-texas/index.html